Saturday, July 24, 2010

Proposed Math Standards Unteachable

Viewpoints: Proposed math standards unteachable

By Bill Evers and Ze'ev Wurman

Special to The Bee
Published: Saturday, Jul. 24, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 11A

California's proposed new mathematics content standards would gut the state's successful program, which has put 60 percent of the state's children in Algebra I by eighth grade. Most importantly, the proposed new algebra course is so overburdened in eighth grade that only an elite few students will be able to succeed. Unfortunately, students also will not be adequately prepared for algebra in eighth grade, under the proposed plan.

We were the two dissenting commissioners when the California State Academic Content Standards Commission voted July 15 on the math standards proposed for California's children. We dissented because the proposed math standards do not meet or exceed – particularly in kindergarten through grade seven – the level of academic rigor in the content standards that California already has. (Academic standards are grade-by-grade compilations of the subject-matter topics that students are expected to learn.)

full story here:
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/24/2911462/proposed-math-standards-unteachable.html

3 comments:

kprugman said...

Rigor is all the peep in our school district this year. Last year, it was checking for understanding.

Unless you are part of the in-crowd, especially from the nerdy department, don't joke too loudly during staff meeetings.

I don't mind being offensive, so long as I'm offending the right people.

kprugman said...

Looks like we offended the right people when your local blurb cut us off. I was getting to the juicy parts.

kprugman said...

That skeleton of a paper should be used as toilet paper by all the board members because its their worn-out, lily-white mouthpiece and it kisses a....